Something So Perfect (Something So 2)

I take it and put it back on the counter while I continue to finish the rest of the juice.

I throw the container into the garbage. “I didn’t want to waste a glass when I knew I was going to finish what was left of it,” I say, leaning against the counter. “We going to talk about this?” I ask her, watching her back stiffen while she stands there staring at the coffee pot.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you two.”

I turn to the doorway where Doug stands with his hands in his pockets.

“We would like to discuss perhaps a press release.”

I nod my head and turn to Karrie, who isn’t making eye contact with me or her father. Instead, she is pouring coffee into two cups.

When she doesn’t say anything, her father clears his throat. “Is there something else that we should be talking about?”

Karrie puts the coffee pot down and levels her gaze on her father. “There’s absolutely nothing else we should discuss, unless you want to discuss how you thought I wasn’t doing my job. We could discuss that. We could discuss how you didn’t trust me to tell you it wasn’t last night.” Her tone is curt and direct.

“Honey, that isn’t what we meant.” He starts to say, but Karrie puts her hand up, stopping him from talking.

“I know what you meant, and to be honest I’m insulted. I take my job seriously, and if you thought I was the right person for the job, you wouldn’t be second-guessing me. Now,” she says, picking up one of the coffee cups on the counter and walking away, “let’s go hear this statement you want to put out.” She walks out of the room, leaving the second coffee on the counter.

“If you hurt her, I’ll bury you so far down they won’t find you.” He starts to say while my spine goes straight.

“I’ll give you the shovel.” Is all I say, picking up the coffee that she made for me and walking out of the room. I put the cup down in the hallway, going upstairs to my bedroom to get myself a T-shirt.

I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Cooper. He answers before the first ring even finishes.

“Tell me that isn’t you.” He blows out a long breath.

“It’s me, but from three years ago. It was before I got the tattoo on my ribs,” I tell him, sitting down to take a minute.

“I didn’t even notice.”

“Yeah, I didn’t either till I saw my hand in the air. Anyway, I just wanted to touch base with you. Everyone is here. We are going to discuss a statement.”

“Yeah, Robert is going to call me in a few. So we will talk after. Text your mom, please. She has been freaking out since this morning. I would also text Allison. She started cropping you out of the family pictures!” He laughs and then hangs up.

I send a group text to both my mother and sister with one sentence.

It’s an old picture. Check my ribs. No tattoo.

Allison answers right away.

I knew it.

I respond with a, No, you didn’t.

I put the phone away when I hear a knock on my door. “Come in.”

Karrie opens the door and walks in. “Hey. We are waiting for you.”

“I was just calling home to give them the heads-up.” I look back down at my hands. “They don’t need this.”

She closes the door and walks to me, her body fitting in the middle of my legs. My hands go up her legs to her ass and then finally land on her hips. “I’m sorry.”

Her hands go to my hair, running them through it. “I should be apologizing. I freaked out without thinking. I was so scared that it was a picture of us walking down the street or something that I was relieved when that picture came out.”

I smile at her. “You’re happy a picture of me with another woman is circulating?” I shake my head, thinking of how crazy this woman is.

“No, not that part, the part where it’s still just you and me without anyone knowing.” She leans down and kisses my lips. “Now let’s go and get this thing over with so we can go back and see if third base will slip into a home run.”

“You know that I don’t play baseball, right? Hockey,” I tell her, thinking how I know nothing about baseball.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just easier to put sex terms in baseball instead of hockey.” She drops her hands from my hair and grabs my arms, dragging me out the door, dropping our hands the minute we get to the second floor but not before she squeezes it to give me her strength.

Chapter Fourteen

Karrie

I watch the city fade away till we are in the clouds. I close my eyes, blocking out all the buzz in the plane. We have been on the road for the last six days and I’m dying to climb into my bed. It’s been six days of dodging the press. They are trying to get anything they can to make Matthew be the asshole.